Fire-escape device



No. 626,8l2. Patented June 13, I899.

' a. KIRSUHENHOFER.

FIRE ESCAPE DEVlCE.

. Application filed. Feb 2?, was.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES y;

UNITED STATES PATENT GEORGE KIRSCHENHOFER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FIRE-ESCAPE DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,812, dated June 13,1899. Application filed February 27, 1899. Serial No: 707,021. (Nomodel.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE KIRsoHENHo- FER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escape Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Myinvention relates to blanket or net fireescapes-that is to say, adevice adapted to support .a blanket, net, or similar article in anextended position, so as to be ready to receive the body of a personfalling orjumping from an elevated structure; and it consists inimprovements in the supporting-frame and the means for sustaining theblanket or net in an extended position, as will be hereinafter setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of thepreferred form in which I propose to embody my invention, the blanket orcanvas being represented as stretched and in position to receive a body.Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation, enlarged, taken through the upper end ofone of the posts or standards. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of thecorner-posts of the frame, showing the brace therefor differentlyarranged from the showing in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the life net or spread, which may consistof netting, of canvas, a blanket, or of other suitable material. Asshown, it is provided at its corners with hooks a, securely fastened tothe net or spread and adapted to engage with rings 6, secured to theends of the ropes, chains, or cables 0, by which the spread is connectedwith the supporting and sustaining devices. The life net or spreadAissupported between the four posts or standards P of a rectangular frame,these posts or standards being preferably hollow, as represented in Fig.2, and serving to inclose the mechanism by which the spread is given ayielding or spring support.. The several posts or standards P areconnected together to form a rigid frame by the tie-rods R, which entersockets or apertures provided for their reception in the lower parts ofthe standards, where they are secured by the pins 0'. These parts are somade that the frame can be easily'taken apart, it being only necessaryto withdraw the pins 0 and remove the tie-rods, when the parts may becompactly arranged for storage or transportation.

The life not or spread A is connected with the standards near theirupper ends, the supporting-cords c passing from the spread over sheavesor pulleys B and into the hollow standards or posts P. F represents arelatively stiff coiled spring mounted within the standard or post P andbearing at one end against an abutment or support 6 and at its other endagainst a plate or washer E, carried by the cord 0. By reference to Fig.2 it will be seen that the spring F is situated in the upper part of thepost and operates as an expansion-spring to resist the upward movementof the plate E, it being loosely arranged between the cross-plate c,which serves as an abutment therefor, and the disk E, and that theaction of the spring is to force downward the plate E and the cordattached thereto, and thus put the net or spread A under tension. Thecross-plate or partition c is centrally perforated for the passage ofthe cord 0, which also passes axially through the spring F and isconnected with the disk or plate E, which is situated below the spring.As indicated in Fig. 1, the springs arranged within the several posts orstandards jointly acting upon the net or spread A cause it to assume asubstantially horizontal extended position, and the size of the spreador net should be such that it covers nearly the entire space inclosedbetween the standards or posts P. Nhen the device is set up and inposition to receive the body of the person who may fall or jump therein,the springs F are expanded, as represented in dotted lines, Fig. 2. Theeffect of the weight of a person landing upon the net or spread A is tosag the latter and suddenly compress the springs F, and unless provisionis made to prevent the sudden and violent expansion of the springsaftersuch compression the reaction and expansion of the springs willcause the body to rebound to a dangerous extent. In order to prevent, asfar as possible, this rebound of the body after landing on the net orspread, and thus reduce to a minimum the dangers incident to the use ofa life-saving device of the character of mine, I provide means whichwill prevent the sudden expansion of the springs after they have beencompressed and will hold them under compression until intentionallyreleased. The preferred means for accomplishing this consists ofspring-catches G, the hooked heads or ends g of which enter the standardor post P and are so disposed that while they oifer no substantialopposition to the upward movement of the disk E they prevent, after thedisk has once passed them, the return ordownward movement of the diskand so operate to retain the spring F under compression. The ends g ofthese spring-catches are arranged on the outside of the posts inposition to be grasped for the purpose of disengaging the catches fromthe plates or washers E and allowing the spring to expand and stretchthe net or spread.

In order to stiffen and strengthen the supporting-frame, I prefer toprovide each post or standard with an outward-extendingdiagonally-arranged brace bar or rod K, such rod being connected withthe post or standard near its lower end. i 2' are connecting eyebarsextending between the outer ends of the brace-rods K and the upper endsof the posts or standards, the latter being provided with cap-pieces Hto facilitate the connection with the bars '6. lVhen a person is aboutto jump into the net or spread, a fireman or other person willnsuallystand at each post of the frame to render assistance in case ofneed, and by placing his foot upon the bar or red K near its outer endwill be able to add much to the stability of the device as a whole byreason ofthebracingattachmentsdescribed. These braces, however, might beentirely omitted or the rods K might extend inward instead of outward.In the latter case'the sheaves B should be disposed so as to occupy theposition indicated in Fig.

When my life-saving device is to be used, the frame is set up, asindicated in Fig. l, and the spring-catches G are manipulated so as torelease the springs and allow them to expand and stretch the net orspread when the device is in condition for use. The fall of the bodyupon the net or spread A causes the compression of the springs F, bywhich the shock of the fall is broken, and carries the plates or washersE past the heads of the spring-catches G. The latter prevent the returnof the said plates or washers and hold the springs under compression,thus preventing them from expanding and causing by their expansion aviolent rebound of the body. The life-net can be again quickly put incondition for use by pressing together the arms or ends 9 of thespring-catches, when the springs will expand and stretch the net orspread.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a supporting-frame, a life net orspread,eXpansion-springs mounted in the frame for holding the spread inan extended position, flexible connections between the life-net and thesprings and springcatches for holding the springs under com pression andpreventing their reaction when compressed by the fall of a body upon thenet or spread,'substantially as set forth.

1 the spring-catches,arranged below the springs to hold the springsunder compression, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a supportingframe,

a life net or spread, loosely-mounted springs F bearing againstabutments or supports 111 ithe frame, movable disks or plates againstwhich the springs also hear, flexible connections between the said disksor plates and the life net or spread, and catches arranged to engagewith the said disks and hold them jwhen the springs are put undercompression by reason of a weight upon the net, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination of a supporting-frame having hollow posts P, a lifenet or spread mounted between the posts, loose expansion- .springs Farranged in the upper parts of the posts and having their upper endsbearing against cross-supports e, movable disks or plates E arrangedbelow the springs within the posts and against which the springs bear,

cords connected with the life-net and passingthrough the springs to thesaid disks or plates to.which they are connected, and catches below thesprings arranged to engage with and hold the plates or disks when moved'to compress the springs, substantially as set forth.

5. In a life-saving device, the combination of the posts or standards,P, the removable tie-bars,-R, between the standards, thediagonally-arranged brace-bars, K, the bars, 2', be tween the outer endsof the brace-bars and the upper ends of the standards, the life net orspread, A, supported between the upper portions of the standards orposts, and means for yieldingly sustaining the net or spread in anextended position, substantially as set forth.

GEO. KIRSCHENHOFER.

